When you think of food, do you think of bland, tasteless sustenance? In truth, food is anything consumed to provide nutrition to an organism for life. The word ‘food’ is derived from the Greek word ‘graphe’ which means sweet. Food is generally of animal, plant or fungi origin, and includes all nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, or mineral ions. The human diet provides the necessary nutrients to sustain life, although specific foods are required by different organisms for optimal health.

The common foods that we eat are carbohydrates, protein, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and fats. The typical Western diet does not contain enough of the micronutrients that are important to maintain health. Because of this, people need to eat more foods containing these micronutrients. For example, people need to eat more nuts, seeds, legumes, onions, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, and whole grains to meet their daily requirements.

In the second study session, participants were asked to rate their preference for various foods using a specific rating system. For example, one food would be given a high mark if it was liked ‘a lot’, while another food would receive a low mark if it was liked ‘little’. After the testing, the group was asked to complete a nutrient database that contained detailed information on the types of foods and the nutrient content of each food. The database contained all the details on over 1700 foods, including the percentage of saturated fat, the percentage of dietary fiber, and the amount of vitamin D and calcium.